


sweeter than sugar

by taemochi



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Diners, M/M, Mutual Pining, Slice of Life, Strangers to Lovers, and so am i, jaehyun is whipped, overachiever lee taeyong, server jaehyun, taeyong loves desserts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-23
Updated: 2018-10-24
Packaged: 2019-08-06 02:24:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16379603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taemochi/pseuds/taemochi
Summary: jaehyun works at the diner that taeyong goes to when he's stressed.





	1. just desserts

**Author's Note:**

> hello!! this is the first fic i'm posting on ao3 and of course it's jaeyong. this is super self indulgent bc they really own my ass. 
> 
> i also wrote this instead of doing work for school, so you know i have my priorities straight. 
> 
> unbetaed, sorry for any errors ):

jaehyun adjusts his apron and runs his hands through his hair before stepping onto the floor of the family diner he works at, called _timeless_. 

the name is fitting, because the interior is reminiscent of old school diners in the 70s and 80s, with red faux leather seats and checkerboard flooring, complete with a jukebox that sometimes eats people’s quarters when they try to make it play music. at this point, it only remains in the diner mostly for aesthetic instead of functionality.

the diner was only a 20 minute walk from his dorm, or a 10 minute ride on the campus shuttle. most days, jaehyun prefers walking because he enjoys the warmth of the sunlight on his face and the slight breeze that blows around the time he gets out of class. 

he had applied to be a server to bring in some extra money in order to lighten the load on his parents, who insist on paying for the part of his tuition that his scholarship doesn’t cover. he’s grateful that the owners of the diner were a nice old couple that understood the struggle of being a broke college student. 

everyone else who worked in the diner was also a college student, which is nice because it made it easier for jaehyun to break the ice and hold a conversation when he first started working a couple of months ago.

there were 4 other servers other than him: yuta, sicheng, johnny, and ten. out of the 5 of them, jaehyun was the only one who was born in korea.

yuta came from japan, sicheng from china, johnny from america, and ten from thailand. despite having difficulty communicating properly sometimes, they got along well and have been spending time together outside of work. the two cooks, taeil and kun, were also friendly even though they were both on the quiet side in the beginning. 

jaehyun had been working at the diner long enough to recognize the regulars who come in during his shifts, but tonight, there’s someone in his section that he’s never seen before.

it’s a boy with silver hair, sharp facial features, and wide brown eyes. he’s wearing a pair of metal frame glasses that are slightly askew on the bridge of his nose. the table in front of him littered with papers, his fingers flying across the keyboard on his laptop, and though his face is crumpled into a frown, he’s still one of the most attractive people jaehyun has come across in his 21 years of life. 

he startles when he hears a low whistle to his left, and sees yuta standing next to him, eyes trained on the same boy jaehyun was staring at just a second ago. 

“hard to believe he’s actually _that_ good looking, right?” yuta comments, giving jaehyun a knowing smile. 

jaehyun feels warmth on the tips of his ears. _was he that obvious?_

“you know him?” jaehyun asks, sneaking another glance at the boy, who’s now trying to gather all the papers surrounding him into one pile. 

yuta laughs, teeth gleaming under the neon lights. “he comes here pretty often, but the day and the time is always random, so i can’t tell you when you’ll see him again after tonight. he always sits in that booth though.” 

jaehyun huffs, looking down at his feet. “who said i wanted to see him again?” 

“you didn’t need to say anything, it was written all over your face. your jaw was basically on the floor when i walked up,” yuta says, teasing smile still on his face. 

a blush fully rises on jaehyun’s face. “it was not!” 

“ _right_ ,” yuta drawls, giving jaehyun a disbelieving look. “anyways, instead of standing here and arguing with me about whether or not you just fell in love at first sight, why don’t you go over there and ask him if he needs anything?” 

“what? why me?” jaehyun splutters, panic coloring his voice. 

yuta pins him with a stare. “don’t know if you’ve noticed, but that’s your section he’s sitting in.”

“oh, right.” 

“god, you’re already hopeless,” yuta points out gleefully. “i’m gonna go tell everyone.” 

“don’t!” jaehyun tries to call out, but yuta’s already gone, speed walking towards the back of the diner where johnny and ten are polishing silverware. 

jaehyun groans quietly, knowing the amount of teasing he would face later. 

he re-adjusts his apron one more time before taking a breath and walking towards the booth the boy was sitting at. 

the boy doesn’t look up until jaehyun is standing in front of the table. his eyes are unfocused and he blinks a few times before he seems to register that jaehyun isn’t just a figment of his imagination. 

“hi! sorry, it took me a second to remember where i was,” the boy explains, laughing awkwardly. his teeth are white and perfectly straight, and his laugh kind of sounds hiccupy like he’s running out of breath. 

jaehyun feels his heart give a squeeze at the sight of the boy looking up at him expectantly, until he realizes that he hasn’t said anything back and has just been staring this whole time. 

jaehyun clears his throat and fishes his notepad and pen out of his apron pocket as he feels his face traitorously turn red once again. “sorry for spacing, did you want me to bring you anything?” 

the boy laughs again, a real laugh this time, his eyes crinkling. “it’s okay, happens to the best of us. i’d like a vanilla milkshake and a slice of the strawberry pie, please.” 

“alright, i’ll go and get that for you, give me a minute,” jaehyun says, writing down the order. 

the boy nods in affirmation, giving him a small smile before turning his attention back to his work. 

when jaehyun turns to walk towards the counter, he sees johnny, ten, and yuta watching him behind one of the booths, clearly laughing at his embarrassing behavior. he subtly flips his middle finger up at them, his face still irregularly warm. 

“one vanilla milkshake and a slice of strawberry pie, please,” jaehyun requests, leaning over the counter where kun is mixing up a batch of whipped cream. 

“coming up,” kun replies, setting down his whisk and opening the back of the display case. 

“hyung, do you know about the boy who comes here? silver hair, glasses?” jaehyun asks, curiosity getting the best of him. 

kun sets the slice of pie on a plate before glancing up at jaehyun. “the one who always look like he’s on the verge of having a breakdown? big brown eyes?” 

“yup.” 

“yeah, this is his second time here this week. he only ever orders from the dessert menu, so i guess he has a big sweet tooth,” kun responds, sliding the milkshake and the slice of pie towards jaehyun. “first time seeing him?”

jaehyun raises his eyebrows in surprise. “how’d you know?” 

kun chuckles and shakes his head. “you’re not the first one to ask about him. to be fair, he is the kind of person that demands attention, even unknowingly.” 

“that’s.. a great way to put it, actually,” jaehyun agrees, picking up the food from the counter and placing it on a tray. “i gotta go take this to him, but i’ll probably be back here later when i get tired of the peanut gallery giving me shit about being interested in him.” 

“have fun with that,” kun says, picking up his whisk to continue where he left off. 

the boy has his face buried in his hands when jaehyun walks up with the tray of food. he probably would’ve been content staying in that position if jaehyun didn’t set the tray down on the table louder than necessary to make his presence known. 

jaehyun almost laughs when the boy jumps in his seat, but manages to clamp his mouth shut in time. 

there’s a gleam of excitement in the boy’s eyes when he looks down at the tray, then he’s hastily pushing aside his laptop to slide the food directly in front of him. he inhales deeply while closing his eyes, a content smile spreading across his face. 

“thank you, it smells great as always,” the boy says, opening his eyes. 

“no problem,” jaehyun answers, giving the boy a smile of his own. “anything else i can get for you?” 

the boy shakes his head. 

“nope, i’m all good. thank you..” he starts, leaning closer to read jaehyun’s name tag. “jaehyun.” 

jaehyun’s heart skips a beat at the sound of his name leaving the boy’s mouth. 

_i am so pathetic._

“it’s my pleasure,” jaehyun says, smiling even wider. 

jaehyun is about to walk away when the boy says something else. 

“are you new?” the boy asks, tilting his head to the side. “i was pretty sure i’ve met all the servers here, but this is my first time seeing you.” 

“i’ve been working here for a couple of months, mostly before class or the closing shift,” jaehyun explains, the prolonged eye contact making him feel antsy. “guess this is the first time one of your visits has lined up with my schedule.” 

“ah, i see,” the boy replies, nodding in understanding. “i’m lee taeyong, it’s nice to meet you.” 

_taeyong_ , jaehyun’s mind repeats unnecessarily. a name to the face. 

jaehyun sticks his hand out. “jung jaehyun, nice to meet you, too.”

when taeyong grasps his hand to give it a shake, jaehyun can’t help but notice how soft it is, how his own hand envelops taeyong’s. 

“you’ll probably be seeing me here a lot, midterms are really kicking my ass,” taeyong states, laughing sheepishly. 

jaehyun should feel bad, but instead he feels excitement bloom in his stomach at the thought of seeing taeyong again. 

“that’s not a problem,” jaehyun blurts before he can stop himself. “i mean, the midterms are a problem! but not you coming here a lot -- good luck, by the way!” 

jaehyun blushes for what feels like the hundredth time in the past 30 minutes, staring resolutely at the wall instead of keeping eye contact with taeyong. he only looks back when he hears taeyong let out a small giggle, dark eyes sparkling with curiosity and something jaehyun can’t describe. 

“thank you, i hope you do well on your midterms, too,” taeyong says, sincerity in his voice. 

“thanks,” jaehyun responds, smile lopsided. “well, i’ll get out of your way, enjoy your food!” 

“i will. see you next time, jaehyun.” 

_next time._

jaehyun can’t stop the goofy grin that takes over his whole face, not even when johnny, yuta, and ten tease him for the rest of the night.


	2. apple of my eye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this fic is just an excuse for me to show how whipped i am for taeyong through jaehyun

“dude, you’re gonna get whiplash if you keep turning around that fast every time someone comes into the diner,” sicheng states, dropping the cloth napkin he was folding on the table to give jaehyun a disapproving look. “i know you want to see him again, but you could be a little less obvious about it.” 

he and sicheng were the only ones scheduled to work the closing shift tonight, because they didn’t get too many customers during weekday nights anyway. johnny could have come in to help, but he chose to get drinks with ten and the rest of the photography club they were a part of instead.

jaehyun frowns, mouth pushing out into a small pout. “it’s been 3 days, what is his definition of coming here a lot?” 

there was no need to fill sicheng in about what happened with taeyong, because the other three witnesses had been texting live updates to their work group chat. taeil had been the most helpful, telling them to leave jaehyun alone, and that it was cute that jaehyun had a crush. 

jaehyun had half a mind to argue that it wasn’t a crush, but he would’ve been lying to himself. there was something about taeyong that made jaehyun want to know _more_ , to learn everything about him. 

the feeling is foreign, because no one else has ever caught jaehyun’s attention like this. it gives him a mix of nerves and anticipation, waiting for the next time he gets to look into the depths of taeyong’s captivating eyes. 

business is slow, as expected of a rainy thursday night, and jaehyun is about to ask taeil if they could close up early when the door opens, a hooded figure stumbling in. 

jaehyun’s heart begins to thump faster when a pair of familiar looking hands pull down the hood of the sweatshirt, revealing a mop of damp, silver hair. 

taeyong slides into the same booth he was in when jaehyun had first seen him, except he’s got nothing with him this time. he runs a hand through his already tousled hair, heaving out a sigh and chewing on his bottom lip. even from a distance, jaehyun can see the dark circles under his eyes.

“are you gonna gape at him like a fish all night or are you gonna go over there?” 

the question makes jaehyun jump, and he turns to narrow his eyes at sicheng, who stares back with a blank expression. 

“you and yuta are creepily alike sometimes,” jaehyun mutters, mostly to himself. “you need to stop hanging out with him.” 

“i’ll hang out with whoever i want to,” sicheng fires back, sticking out his tongue. “also, if you’re not gonna go take his order, then i will.” 

jaehyun grips sicheng’s sleeve and yanks, effectively making the thinner boy stumble backwards into a chair. 

“whoops, my hand slipped,” jaehyun remarks, making no move to help sicheng up. “ _i’ll_ be the one taking his order, just sit there and relax.” 

sicheng mumbles something that sounds a lot like _yuta was right_ , but jaehyun doesn’t care enough to clarify. 

taeyong’s face brightens when he sees jaehyun walking towards the booth, a smile ghosting on his lips. 

“hey,” jaehyun greets, lifting his hand in a small wave. “you must really love this place if you’re willing to come here even though it’s raining outside.” 

taeyong lets out a short laugh, bringing a hand up to rub the back of his neck with a sheepish expression. “i’ve been so busy with studying and extracurriculars these past couple of days, i figured i deserved to treat myself a little. you could say _timeless_ has a special place in my heart.” 

jaehyun nods, sympathetic. “what can i get for you tonight?” 

“a peach smoothie and some apple pie sounds really good right now,” taeyong replies, eyes taking on a faraway look as he speaks. 

“you’re in luck, i think taeil hyung just pulled one out of the oven a few minutes before you got here,” jaehyun says as he jots down the order. 

taeyong practically squeals at the news, lips stretched into a smile that could rival yuta’s. “even better.” 

sicheng is sitting on one of the stools in front of the counter sipping on a glass of pink lemonade when jaehyun tells taeil the order. 

“guess you got the stick out of your ass now that taeyong’s here,” sicheng quips, propping his chin on his hand. 

“leave him alone, this is his first college crush other than that junhoe guy! it’s adorable,” taeil says, swatting at sicheng’s shoulder. 

sicheng grumbles but doesn’t say anything else. 

“are you in a bad mood because you wanted to be working with yuta instead?” jaehyun asks, a challenging smirk on his lips. 

sicheng gives jaehyun a withering glare. “yeah, he’s not as annoying as you.” 

“that’s because you have a crush the size of japan on him,” jaehyun replies, rolling his eyes. 

sicheng makes to get up from his seat, most likely to strangle jaehyun or something similar, but taeil pushes him back down. 

“that’s enough, children,” taeil chides, sliding the tray of food towards jaehyun. “go make some progress with your own crush.” 

jaehyun takes the tray and sticks his tongue out at sicheng, who does the same. 

“don’t come back over here,” sicheng calls after him sulkily. 

“wasn’t planning on it, loser,” jaehyun responds over his shoulder. 

taeyong is scrolling through his phone when jaehyun sets the tray down onto the table, looking less ruffled than he did when he stumbled into the diner. 

he must have fixed his hair while jaehyun was at the counter, the silver strands flopping over his eyebrows and looking fluffy from air drying. the sleeves of his hoodie are too long, giving him sweater paws and making him look smaller than he is. 

jaehyun has the urge to squish his cheeks, or pat him on the head, but that would definitely make him look like a creep. he settles for saving the image in his mind as something he could tell taeyong about in the future, if things go in his favor. 

“enjoy,” jaehyun says, smiling when the look of excitement reappears in taeyong’s eyes. 

taeyong sticks his fork into the pie immediately, making a pleased noise when he takes his first bite. 

“it’s always better when it’s fresh out of the oven,” taeyong remarks, left cheek puffed out from speaking mid-chew.

“definitely,” jaehyun agrees. “it would’ve been even better if you asked for a scoop of ice cream on top, though.” 

taeyong gasps, eyes widening. “you’re right, how could i have forgotten?” 

it’s almost comical how serious taeyong sounds, and equally as cute. 

“want me to get some for you?” jaehyun offers, pointing his thumb in the direction of the counter. 

taeyong shakes his head. “nah, it’s okay, i’ll live. i’ll just remember next time.” 

“alright. well, let me know if you need anything else, i’ll be over there folding napkins or whatever other mundane task i can find to pass the time until we close,” jaehyun states, turning on his heel to walk away. 

“wait!” 

jaehyun turns back around to see taeyong fiddling with the strings on his hoodie. 

“need something after all?” jaehyun teases, going back towards the booth. 

“i was just wondering if you wanted to sit with me and talk for a little, since it’s pretty dead in here,” taeyong starts, voice soft and unsure. “of course, you don’t have to if you have other things to do.” 

jaehyun wanted to jump for joy. he never would’ve expected taeyong to want to have a sit down conversation with him after only meeting twice, but he definitely wasn’t about to turn it down now that it’s being offered. 

“i guess the napkins can wait,” jaehyun jokes, sliding into the seat across taeyong. 

taeyong laughs, visibly relaxing. “cool. i just, didn’t want to be sitting by myself in an empty diner.” 

“totally understandable,” jaehyun assures, habitually running a hand through his hair. 

“do you like working here?” taeyong asks, taking a sip from his smoothie. 

“yeah, i’ve become pretty good friends with everyone i work with and the owners are really nice, too,” jaehyun answers. “i also haven’t experienced any shitty customers yet, fingers crossed that i never will.” 

“i’ve been coming here since my first year of college, and it’s kind of crazy to think about how nothing in here has really changed,” taeyong says, swirling his straw around the cup. “i think that’s part of the reason why i like coming here so much. even though so many other things have changed, i can always come here and find comfort in the fact that there’s at least one stable thing in my life.” 

jaehyun’s eyebrows go up in surprise. “wow, you’ve been coming here for that long? wait, what year are you in?” 

“i’m 23, in my second year of graduate school for animal science,” taeyong replies, smiling at jaehyun’s reaction. 

“and here i was talking to you like we were the same age, sorry, hyung,” jaehyun says apologetically. “you must like animals, then? animal science sounds like an interesting major.” 

“no need to apologize, you don’t have to call me hyung, just speak to me comfortably,” taeyong asserts, and it’s hard for jaehyun to argue when taeyong could still pass for an 18 year old. “but yeah, i love animals. i want to work in an animal hospital in the future or maybe even start my own. what do you study?” 

“i’m 21, in my last year of undergrad studying music theory with a minor in vocal performance,” jaehyun responds, a bit apprehensively. he knows that his choice isn’t one of the typical degrees in the stem field, and has experienced a few people looking down on him for it. 

but taeyong’s face breaks out into a breathtaking smile and jaehyun’s heart begins to beat double time. 

“that’s so cool!” taeyong exclaims, eyes shining. “that must mean you’re a great singer, right?”

jaehyun flushes, feeling shy. “i wouldn’t say _great_ , but i can hold a note well enough.” 

“you’re probably just trying to be modest,” taeyong states dismissively, putting a rather large chunk of pie in his mouth. 

“i still have a lot of things to improve compared to some other people in my program, so i’m not just trying to be modest,” jaehyun refutes, willing the blush in his face to go away. 

“just because you have things you could improve upon doesn’t mean that you’re not already good at something,” taeyong chides. “i drop by the dance club’s studio sometimes, but i don’t have much time lately.” 

jaehyun’s mouth pops into an ‘o’ at this information. “you dance?” 

taeyong nods while finishing off his smoothie. “yeah, it’s my other way of relieving stress when i don’t want to stuff myself with desserts. it also helps me balance out how many sweets i eat on a regular basis, so it’s a win-win situation.” 

“i think i’m more of a savory food kind of guy,” jaehyun confesses. “but i can appreciate a good dessert every once in a while.” 

“my friends and family tell me that they’ve never met anyone else with a sweet tooth as big as mine,” taeyong says, eating the last of his pie. “i could do with having more savory food in my diet, but i’m a little more picky about that.” 

“we do have a menu other than the dessert menu, just to remind you,” jaehyun jokes, making taeyong roll his eyes. 

“i’ve heard that one before.”

taeyong picks up his phone and curses underneath his breath when he sees the time. “i didn’t mean to stay this long, i still have to study for a couple more midterms.”

“yeah, i’m gonna have to study after we close,” jaehyun says glumly. 

taeyong takes out his wallet and tries to hand over a couple of bills, but jaehyun pushes his hand away. 

when taeyong gives him a confused look, jaehyun says, “don’t worry about it, it’s on the house since you’re so strung out.” 

“are you sure?” taeyong questions, sucking in his bottom lip. “i really don’t mind paying.” 

“i’m sure, you looked like you really needed it,” jaehyun replies. 

taeyong smiles gratefully, putting his wallet back into his pocket and pulling his hood up. “thank you -- for the food and for sitting with me. it was nice talking to you.” 

jaehyun’s chest squeezes at taeyong’s words, a dopey grin reappearing on his face. being around taeyong is proving to be bad for his heart, but he’s willing to accept that consequence. 

“yeah, it was fun,” jaehyun agrees. 

“see you next time?” 

“i’ll be here.” 

taeyong flashes him one last smile, then he’s disappearing into the night, and jaehyun is left counting down the hours until he gets to see him again.

**Author's Note:**

> [twitter](http://www.twitter.com/peachyhoneys)  
> [curiouscat](http://www.curiouscat.me/fairy_vmin)
> 
> (:


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